Folding trunk.



No. 839,796. PATENTED DEC. 25, 1906.

VfG. WILLIAMS.

. FOLDING TRUNK.

4 APPLICATION FILED SBPT.13,1906.

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4 secured to the bottom by hinges 3.

t UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

FOLDING TRUNK.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

Application lell September 13, 1906. Serial No. 334,485.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, VIOLET C. WrLLrAMs, a citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and Statefof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in `Folding Trunks, of which the following is a speciication,-reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to folding trunks; and its object is to provide a trunk ofsimple and inexpensive construction adapted to be compactly folded into small compass when not required for use, so that it may be stored in any convenient place and occupy but little space.

The invention consists of a trunk having foldable sides and ends hinged to the trunkbottom, in combination with means for secur ing the sides and ends of the trunk in the unfolded position.

The construction of the improvement will be fully described hereinafter in connection with the accomp anyng drawings, which form a part of this speciiication, and its novel features will be defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the sides and ends of the trunk disconnected and in position to be folded inward upon the trunk-bottom. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the trunk with its sides and ends connected and its lid in position. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section or one end of the trunk. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view showing one of the devices for securing the ends and sides of the trunk together 5 an Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal sectional view, also illustrating means or securing the ends and sides together,

The reference-numeral 1 desi nates the bottom of the trunk, and 2 the si es thereof, The ends 4 of the trunk are also secured to the trunkbottom at the ends of the latter by hinges 5'.

To the inner side of each ofthe sides 2 and the ends 4 is secured a cleat 6, said cleats extending throughout the length of the sides and ends and constituting when the sides and ends are in vertical position a continuous support for a tray, as shown at 7 in Fig. 3. While these cleats may, if desired, be rigidly secured to the sides and ends by screws, nails, or like fastening devices, I preferably hinge them by hinges S, arranged above the cleats, thus permitting the sides and ends to fold together more closely, the

location of the hinges permitting the edges 9 of the cleats to bear against the sides and ends to maintain said cleats in horizontal position when folded.

When the sides and ends are turned to a vertical position, it is necessary to secure them together detachably, and while any suitable securing means may be utilizedfor this purpose I have shown four fastenings, each consisting of a plate 10, secured to the inner side of the side 2 of the trunk, a hasp 11, hinged to the outer end of said plate, and a turn-button 12, extending through an eye let 13 in the end section 4. It will be apparent that the arm 14 of the turn-button will pass through the elongated slot 15 of the hasp, as illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 5, after which said arm is turned to the position shown in full lines in Figs. 4 and 5 to eect a secure fastening of the sides and en s.

To further secure the foldable sides and ends together, I provide each of the ends 4 with four straps 16 and 17. The short straps 16 are riveted in parallel relation to opposite sides of the respective ends 4 and are provided at their free ends with buckles 18. The long straps 17 are also riveted to the ends 4 at opposite sides from those at which the short straps 16 are riveted. Thus the long straps are adapted to extend around the sides 2, as shown in Fig. 2, and be buckled to the short straps. It will be observed that `the short straps 16 extend from opposite sides of the respective end sections of the trunk and that the long straps are similarly disposed, thus bringing the fastening-points of the two pairs of straps adjacent to one end of the trunk in front and adjacent to the opposite end of the trunk at the rear thereof to equally distribute the embracing strength of the straps.

The lid or cover 19 of the trunk is providedwith a continuous downwardly-extending flange 20, adapted to overlap the upper edges of the side and end sections when the latter are in vertical unfolded position, and said lid or cover is to be secured at both front and rear by a lock 21, secured centrally to the sides 2, the lid being provided at opposite sides with hasps 22, coacting with said locks.

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A further function of the lid 19 is to cover and inclose all of the side and end sections and their straps when they are folded down upon the trunk-bottom, a suitable strap being passed around the folded structure to se- IIO cure it in its folded position. The end sections 4 are provided With the usual handles 23, and the bottom 1 is reinforced by trans verse braces 24 on its under side.

The utility and advantages of the improvement Will be readily understood and appreciated from the foregoing description, in connection with the drawings, and I would have it understood that I reserve the right to make all such minor changes in the details of construction as may be resorted to Without departing from the scope of the claims.

Having fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a folding trunk, the combination with a bottom, and folding side and end sections hinged thereto, of means for detachably securing the sides and ends in vertical position, comprising hasps secured to one of said sections and turn-buttons secured to the adjacent section, a lid or cover overlapping the upper edges of the folding sections, locks at opposite sides of the trunk for securing the lid in place, and stra s secured to the end sections said straps eing oppositely disposed to bring the fastening-points thereof near the ends of the trunk at opposite sides thereof.

2. In a folding trunk, the combination with a bottom, and folding side and end sections hinged to the bottom, means for detachably securing the sides and ends together, and folding cleats on the inner sides of the folding sections, said cleats being adapted when unfolded, to provide a continuous tray-support.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of t'Wo Witnesses.

VIOLET C. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

MAX H. SRoLovITz, A. J. TRIGG. 

